Pacquiao dominates Margarito, wins record eighth world title. Written by RYAN SONGALIA

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1 Manny Pacquiao lands a right against Antonio Margarito during the second round of their WBC light middleweight title boxing match at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Nov. 13. (AP photo/david J. Phillip) Nov. 19, / 5

2 Exclusive to the Filipino Reporter ARLINGTON, Texas Bigger is not necessarily better. That s what Manny Pacquiao had to prove when, just 30 hours before his 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) junior welterweight title fight on Nov. 13 with Antonio Margarito was to begin, the General Santos City, Philippines native tipped the scales at pounds. Margarito, who stands nearly five inches taller at 5-foot-11, registered in at the contractually stipulated catch weight of 150 pounds. When the weights were announced, a chorus of gasps rang out from the hundreds of fight fans, pundits and boxing personalities in attendance at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Undoubtedly, some were wondering if the comparatively diminutive Pacquiao had finally bitten off more than he could chew. 2 / 5

3 By the time they stepped into the ring, Pacquiao weighed just 148, while Margarito rehydrated up to 165 pounds. Essentially, it was a matchup of a welterweight versus a super middleweight. One person who wasn t worried was Freddie Roach, Pacquiao s zen-like trainer of nine years. I said, Great, the more weight he gains, the better it is for us. Food makes you sluggish and slows you down. For someone to gain 15 pounds from the weigh-in to the fight is terrible for your body. After 12 gruesome rounds, it was The Pacman who would prove to be too much for the Tornado from Tijuana, Mexico. The judges scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the bout, with Juergen Langos scoring it a shutout Judge Oren Shellenberger had it , and Glen Rick Crocker had it The live crowd tallied in at 41,734, which was significantly less than the 70,000 that was anticipated. The real success was the pay-per-view numbers. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the card sold approximately 1.4 million in the U.S., which far exceeds Pacquiao s bout with Oscar De La Hoya, which sold 1.2 million. 3 / 5

4 Pacquiao, who won his first world title at 112 pounds, added a championship in his record eighth weight division. Unlike records in other sports, this one appears to be one that will never be bested. It s a great honor to me and it s a big honor to my country, said the humble Pacquiao, now (38 KO). All of you guys are part of that. Without you, I m not here, I m not Manny Pacquiao. That accomplishment I have in boxing, it s because of God. He gave me the blessing and also the support of the people. Margarito, 32, provided the first shock of the evening as he eschewed his typical reckless approach and boxed conventionally behind his left jab in the opening round. Pacquiao, 31, was able to connect from time to time through the first three rounds, but Margarito s size allowed him to absorb the punches without taking a backwards step. 4 / 5

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